1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic electronic component, and more particularly, to a large-capacity multilayer ceramic electronic component capable of improving withstand voltage characteristics and having excellent reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
In accordance with the recent trend for the miniaturization of electronic products, the demand for multilayer ceramic electronic components having a small size yet a large capacitance has increased.
Therefore, dielectric layers and inner electrode layers have been thinned and increasingly multilayered by various methods. Recently, as the dielectric layers have been thinned, multilayer ceramic electronic components having an increased number of lamination layers have been manufactured.
As the dielectric layers and the inner electrode layers are thinned in order to realize larger capacitances, the thicknesses of the inner electrode layers may neither be uniform nor continuously maintained, and thus, the inner electrode layers may be partially disconnected, thereby causing a break in the connectivity thereof.
When the thicknesses of the inner electrode layers are not uniform, thick portions of adjacent inner electrode layers may be close to each other, resulting in deteriorating breakdown voltage (BDV) characteristics.
The above problem causes insulating properties to be deteriorated, resulting in a deterioration of the reliability of multilayer ceramic electronic components.